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Overcoming The Mental Challenges of Getting Fit

Once you convince yourself to get fit, you’ll find that your head will play mind games with you and try to sabotage your best laid plans. It’s not uncommon to start off with good intentions only to be railroaded by excuse after excuse. It’s a very frustrating part of getting in shape. But don’t worry. Fitmark Ambassador Nicole Ramos has some tips to help you get your head in the game and overcome the mental challenge of getting fit and losing weight.

When you want to give up, remember why you started. Losing weight is so much more of a mental challenge than it is a physical one.

Nicole began her own fitness journey a few years ago after learning from her doctor she was overweight. At 5’2” and weighing 150lbs, she knew it was time to get serious about working out. Now she’s living a healthy, fit lifestyle and inspiring others on Instagram to do the same. She told us:

I believe the most important part of a fitness journey is BALANCE. Totally changing your lifestyle and not being able to enjoy yourself every now and then is not fun or desirable to me!

With a flexible diet and consistent workout program, there’s no reason why you can’t still enjoy life. In fact, the fitter you get, the better life gets. You’ll feel stronger, have way more energy, and even more confidence. So how do you keep your head in the game? We asked Nicole:

Overcoming The Mental Challenges of Getting Fit

When you want to give up, remember why you started. Losing weight is so much more of a mental challenge than it is a physical one.

If you are not prepared for your week ahead, the chances of your staying on target with your meals and nutrition is very unlikely. Fail to plan and plan to fail.

Consistency is KEY! You won’t see results overnight, it takes a lot of patience and a lot of discipline and dedication to get to where you want to be.

Because you won’t see results overnight, it’s important to track your progress and take photos along the way. You don’t have to share it with the world, but for your own motivation, it really works.

Switch It Up with Flexible Dieting

Nicole also recommends switching up your meals so you don’t get stuck in a rut. She told us:

Switch it up! Changing up your meals every week (and sometimes even daily) will keep you from feeling like you’re stuck eating the same boring foods all of the time. The beauty of IIFYM is that you can get creative and enjoy foods that you love.

Flexible dieting really is the key to sticking to your healthy eating plan, because even after you’ve lost the weight, the diet doesn’t end. Making the commitment to living a healthy lifestyle is something that happens every day and counting your macronutrients with a fitness tracker is the way to get there.

This is where meal prep will help you. By preparing your food for the week, you’re all set to eat healthy and stick to the plan. Nicole gave us these meal prep tips:

Meal Prep Tips

It can be VERY overwhelming at first. Don’t give up, because it does eventually get easier. It will become second nature to meal prep, I promise!

For accuracy, make sure you’re weighing your food instead of using measuring cups. For example – according to the nutrition label, ½ cup oats = 40g oats. However, if you weigh a ½ cup worth of oats, the weight in grams will not equal 40, it will be higher! Weighing out your food will always be consistent.

Frozen veggies = my favorite, lazy way to prep! Portion them out into your Fitmark meal containers, put them in the freezer, and microwave when ready to eat. BAM! Nice and easy!

Another way to stay motivated is to set yourself up with some new fitness gear – new workout clothes, a cool pair of kicks, and a workout bag that doubles as a meal cooler. When you’re all kitted out in your gear, you’ll feel part of something and it’ll help you stay on track. Nicole uses a variety of Fitmark Bags for different uses:

A Fitmark Bag for Every Occasion

I use my Shield or Shield LG (depending on how much food I have to bring) to work with me every day. I have my prepped meals in there all ready to go. No reason or time for excuses.

I have a few different bags that I like to carry to the gym, depending on my mood. I use either my Max Rep Transition Pack, Transporter Tote, or Envoy Backpack. They’re all huge, have tons of compartments for organization, and are comfortable to carry. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that all Fitmark Bags are super stylish!

So don’t give up! Follow these tips to help you keep your head in the game and overcome the mental challenge of getting fit. Start by prepping your meals for tomorrow and packing a bag with your workout gear all ready to go. It’s a lot harder to come up with an excuse when you’re prepared.